[Jeju Update] [May 8]People resisting to save their village/ Yang's prison fast meets 34th as of May 9

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Click the links to see more photos

http://cafe.daum.net/peacekj/GeUn/72
http://cafe.daum.net/peacekj/49kU/288
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1. Elders who resist against the navy’s threat to remove the history of the village

It was Parents’ day on May 8 in Korea. There was an interesting ceremony in front of a tombstone in the village. An activist reports in the Gangjeong Village People’s council site. The tombstone called as ‘Gyungjasaeng Chumobi’ that means ‘A memorial stone cherishing [the 12 deceased ancestors who were born in the year of Gyungja (1900.’ was built in 1999. The report says among the descendents of 12, five ancestors' descendents who are opposing the naval base gathered for the ceremony while the other seven's descendents who are in favor of the naval base were not present.

The site for the tombstone has been in conflict as it is in the middle of the navy’s fence from the naval field office to the construction site. The navy has threatened the elders that it would forcefully purchase the site and charge the fines of 10million won if the tombstone is not withdrawn. However the elders led by the eldest in the village have strongly resisted against that navy’s threat. For the elders and people, it is like to save the spirit of the village who has kept 400 years’ proud history.

* Image source: http://cafe.daum.net/peacekj/GeUn/72

2.The navy’s mean change of the road mark in front of construction site

As the ceremony was just near the construction site, it was easily discovered by people that the navy-affiliated workers were changing the road marks in front of the front gate of the construction site. The road in front of it was narrow for the heavy construction equipment cars and cement mixer trucks to pass on and the people have collected lots of photos to prove the navy’s illegal construction, that doesn’t mind to violate the law on the road traffic. It seems the navy has been conscious of it and it was discovered that a left-turning mark was painted on the road that would give indulgence to the navy and contract companies. The navy has pushed the naval base construction in such expedient way for four years.


* Image source: http://cafe.daum.net/peacekj/49kU/288



A Soccer field currently being built for the villagers will be surely used by the navy of construction is continued to be enforced


3. Trenches of the cultural properties are brutally dealt with by the navy.
Another activist made a wonderful report of how the navy and construction companies led by Samsung and Daerim have been trampling down the trenches that were marked with white indicating circles on the possibility of cultural properties. The trenches are within the construction site, just right next to the front gate. See the link to watch how the trenches and excavation research on the cultural properties are carelessly dealt with.


* Image source: http://cafe.daum.net/peacekj/49kU/288

Such brutality is also being discovered in the vicinity of the Olle three-fork road where the navy has been forcefully driving to set up the fence and people have prevented it twice. The navy is trying to block the Olle road so that it can isolate the naval-base-construction- planned Joongduk coast and to hide the very fact that the site has been discovered with lots of white circles. See the below photos and videos (under the bottom of the text).




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* Image source: http://cafe.daum.net/peacekj/49kU/288

4. Even Sunday, people’s vigil went on and construction went on, too.

The workers from Gwangjoo, belong to the Korean Confederation of Trade unions, bringing their own banner to encourage the villagers’ struggle walked around the site while the people worked to make stronger their barricade in the coast. A villager who has worked on building green house for a long time showed his excellent skills. The steel pipes they are using came from a just removed green house on the day. A green house near the coast that has been kept for a long time by a villager who opposes the naval base cannot but be removed of its vinyl’s as the navy’s pressure to remove it has been ongoing. But it is told that he would keep his farming on the same site. The people are building another vigil house from the very remnants of it to save the coast and sea.

In front of the front gate of the construction site, some activists kept the vigil with protesting signs against the naval base construction. On Sunday, people cannot rest as the construction has been going in the sea and many visitors came. Even though most of the land construction was stopped on the day, it is told that the Samsung, employing about 300 workers are building huge 15 story building in Hwasoon-yes, even on Sunday.










5. Yang’s health is very weak but his will is much stronger.

According to the activists who visited Yang Yoon-Mo in jail in the morning of May 7, his 32nd fast day, he appeared in front of people sitting in wheelchair with linger in his arm, and being gaunt because of 15kg weight loss. Despite his painful appearance, he showed his resolute attitude and consoled people not to concern about him.

Kim Jong-Il, former secretary of Solidarity for Peace And Reunification of Korea wrote:
http://cafe.daum.net/peacekj/49kU/282

“Mr. Yang expressed his will not to give up fast until the ‘stop of illegal construction’ and ‘lay-off of the chief of the Seogwipo Police Station’ [who is responsible for the violent police arrest of him] are done. Also mentioning on the martyr Park Kwan-Hyun and IRA, Ireland, he requested a special meeting with Shin Yong-In, the lawyer. My heart felt grave by the words of Yang who said he would leave testament. His will that he would fight to death throwing one’s own body if he could stop construction made all solemn."


The site where Yang Yoon-Mo has been arrested (photo on May 8, 2011)
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Videos on cultural properties shown near the three-fork Olle trail (The northern end of the planned naval base area)